Usain Bolt thanks Erik ten Hag for bringing ‘glory days back’ to Old Trafford

Lifelong fan Usain Bolt thanked Erik ten Hag for “bringing the glory days back” to Old Trafford when the world’s fastest man met the Manchester United’s manager at the weekend.

The 100 metres world record holder enjoyed a memorable visit to the north west as the Red Devils secured a 3-1 comeback win against Fulham in Sunday’s chaotic FA Cup quarter-final.

The reward for Ten Hag’s men – who also progressed to the Europa League quarter-finals last week – is a semi-final against Brighton at Wembley, where they have already triumphed this season.

February’s Carabao Cup win ended a six-year wait for silverware – the club’s longest trophy drought in 40 years – and Bolt expressed gratitude to the United boss upon meeting him after Sunday’s game.

“I actually asked him about who we’re going to bring in in the summer and he was like ‘do you have any ideas?’,” the Jamaican sprint great told the PA news agency with a laugh. “It was a nice, simple but fun conversation.

“The first thing I said to him was ‘thank you’. That’s the first thing I said and he was like ‘thanks for what?’ I was like ‘for bringing the glory days back’.

“It feels good to watch Manchester now. The team is together, they’re as one. They’re working together, they’re working hard and you can see the purpose now, you can see the determination in the way they play.